RAINBOW BASEBALL
Rainbows upend Leathernecks
Justin Costi pitched the Hawaii Rainbows' first shutout of the season in a game that was halted after 4 1/2 innings by rain last night at Les Murakami Stadium.
The senior right-hander allowed two hits, walked no one and struck out six in the 3-0 victory over Western Illinois in the finale of the five-game, nonconference series before 486 hardy fans.
The game was called after a second rain delay that lasted 51 minutes. The win gives the Rainbows (18-6) a sweep of the series, their first five-game sweep since 1982.
The outing was the second consecutive strong effort for Costi, who struggled in his first two starts this year.
"My curve was really good tonight. The big thing was I was getting it over for strikes," Costi said. "The location on my fastball was good and Matty (catcher Matt Inouye) did a good job. He was setting up well and you can't ask for more than that because it will get you six or seven more strikes a game."
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM
Western Illinois shortstop Ryan Schmidgall couldn't hang onto the throw at second base after Hawaii's Matt Inouye slid into the bag during the bottom of the second inning last night at Les Murakami Stadium.
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It was Costi's fastball location that got him into trouble against San Diego State and Hawaii Pacific earlier this season.
"Justin wasn't trying to overpower people and get strikeouts. He had to stay within himself and learned that," UH coach Mike Trapasso said.
Costi threw 68 pitches and 43 were strikes. Fourteen of his 18 first pitches were strikes and he only went to three balls on one batter.
UH scored a run in the second. The first pitch from WIU starter Wyatt Luebber following a 15-minute rain delay hit Inouye on the left shoulder.
On the next pitch, Jorge Franco hit a slow bouncer past the mound. Leathernecks' shortstop Ryan Schmidgall booted the ball into the dirt area around second base, then collided with a sliding Inouye. The ball ricocheted into left field allowing Inouye to take third and Franco second.
Kris Sanchez scored Inouye for a 1-0 UH lead with a sacrifice fly to left.
The 'Bows added two more runs in the third.
Robbie Wilder singled to center and moved to second on a wild pitch. Joe Spiers walked. Wilder stole third. Two pitches later, Spiers stole second. Wilder scored on a wild pitch. Spiers advanced to third on the play and scored on a triple to right by Luis Avila.
UH had runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the fifth when the rains came again.
Western Illinois (2-14) opens a series against Hawaii-Hilo tomorrow.
The Rainbows begin a three-game Western Athletic Conference series against Louisiana Tech on Friday.
Hawaii 3, Western Illinois 0
WIU |
AB |
R |
H |
BI |
Hawaii |
AB |
R |
H |
BI |
Schmidgall ss |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Wilder cf |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
Kistner rf |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Spiers 2b |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Newquist 1b |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Frash 3b |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Check cf |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Avila 1b |
2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Johnson dh |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Inouye c |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Triumph 3b |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Franco rf |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Pacyga lf |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Sanchez dh |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Bina c |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Dupree cf |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Flanery 2b |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Christensen ss |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Totals |
17 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
Totals |
15 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
Western Illinois |
|
000 |
00 |
-- |
0 |
2 |
1 |
Hawaii |
|
|
|
012 |
0X |
-- |
3 |
3 |
0 |
Game called after four-and-a-half innings due to rain.
E--Schmidgall. LOB--WIU 3; Hawaii 6. 3B--Avila. SF--Sanchez. SB--Wilder, Spiers, Inouye.
Western Illinois |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
Luebber (L, 0-3) |
3 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Leath |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Hawaii |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
Costi (W, 2-0) |
5 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
HBP--by Costi (Newqust); by Luebber (Inouye).
Umpires--unavailable.
T--1:33. A--486.